Sin

 Ladies, as I grow older (and wiser, I hope) I realize how much we have in common with each other.   Oh, we like to think our lives are vastly different than that of those around us. But let’s face it, I bet each of us did at least a few of the following already today: groaned when the alarm went off, flinched when you looked in the mirror, rolled your eyes when you saw your husband’s dirty socks on the floor next to the hamper, washed dishes and laundry, reminded the kids to brush their teeth, told your kids to wipe the toothpaste off the sink and walls, made a to do list and a shopping list, thought of a dozen areas of your house and life that need better organization, told your fighting children to knock it off, wished you had listened to your husband and stopped at two children, okay you get the point.  I think you can agree we have a lot in common. 

One other item every single one of us has in common is sin, we all struggle with it. It may take on different shapes in each of our lives, but it is still there.  It could be in the form of envy, lust, gluttony, dishonesty, idolatry or any other type.  Often it is not visible for others to see; sin loves the darkness and hates the light.  We keep it hidden due to shame and a sense of self-righteousness.  We don’t want others to know about it; we don’t want to be judged by anyone!  We would rather keep on letting others think that everything is great and that our lives are sparkly clean, or at least as clean as our friends’ lives are.  The Bible puts it this way:

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”  John 3:19-21

I used to be very touchy when asked about sin in my life for all the reasons above.  However today, if you sat down with me and asked me about my sins, I can readily admit to the ugliness that is in my life. I can promise you it wouldn’t be pretty, especially if I confessed all the thoughts that run through my head in 24 hours.  You may have to finally ask me to stop talking.  Why is this?  When you get to know Christ more deeply and recognize how holy he is, the sin in your life becomes much more apparent.  You begin to see the darkness much easier and you hate it. 

Those I worry about are the ones who have a hard time recognizing sin in their lives and often rationalize it as being a “normal” part of the American life.  My primary concern is that their view of God as Lord is less than it should be and that their value of his holiness is diminished.  If I sat down with you today and asked you about your sin, what would you have to say to me?  Would you confess it and ask for prayer or try to make excuses as to why you do what you do?  Do you hate your sin or is it something you are fairly comfortable with?  Can you recognize it easily? These are serious questions each of us should be asking ourselves.

God hates sin and God is 100% without sin.  We can only be in his presence if we are also without sin, completely without a single blemish.  This means only those who are perfectly righteous can go to Heaven and live there for eternity with God, everyone else is sent to Hell.  Whoa, wait a minute…I said above that all of us have sin in our lives so is there no hope? 

“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25)  God has given us a way through the one who lived on Earth and was (and is) completely perfect and without sin; Jesus Christ.  He took our sin upon himself and bore the wrath of his Father as he died on that cross for those who will receive the gift of life he offers.  For those who accept Christ, our sin was killed on that cross over 2,000 years ago…all of it. Perfectly righteous and holy Jesus stands in our place when we are before God and allows us to enter into his glorious home of Heaven. What a gift it is and how anyone can reject it is beyond me.

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14

We need to hate sin as much as God does.  We need to bring it out of darkness and expose it to light so it can die.  Don’t go easy on yourself and explain it away or try to justify it.  There won’t be others around you to make you look better on judgment day, only you before God.  Unless you accept Jesus as the savior of your soul and make him Lord over your life.  If you do, he will be right there, saying, “I died for this one and took away all her sins, she belongs with me.”